1
as in dual
consisting of two members or parts that are usually joined
the double-edged purpose of the sales promotion is to clear out existing stock and to attract new customers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
her double-edged remark that she hoped that I ultimately got what I deserved
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Recent Examples of double-edged
There, too, his advocacy is double-edged.
—
Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
Given the fact that more than 20 of her rapists are still roaming free, this fame may be double-edged.
—Gaby Wood, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2026
Seneca’s and Cicero’s invocations of humanitas were as double-edged as our own talk of the humanities, pointing at once to a body of knowledge and to a moral choice that learning might inspire.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
However, trust is double-edged.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Putin boasts of Russia’s record-low 2.3% unemployment rate, but this sword is double-edged.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025
For Eisenberg’s film, the decision is double-edged: from the perspective of the characters, exceptional demands are placed on the dialogue to make their past come to life, but the dialogue isn’t sufficiently rich or imaginative to meet the challenge.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
Usually double-edged, the weapons were occasionally decorated with engraved patterns.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
Among artists and intellectuals, technology has always been double-edged, utopian and dystopian.
—Jed Perl, The New York Review of Books, 27 Apr. 2023
Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
Given the fact that more than 20 of her rapists are still roaming free, this fame may be double-edged.
—Gaby Wood, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2026
Seneca’s and Cicero’s invocations of humanitas were as double-edged as our own talk of the humanities, pointing at once to a body of knowledge and to a moral choice that learning might inspire.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
However, trust is double-edged.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Putin boasts of Russia’s record-low 2.3% unemployment rate, but this sword is double-edged.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025
For Eisenberg’s film, the decision is double-edged: from the perspective of the characters, exceptional demands are placed on the dialogue to make their past come to life, but the dialogue isn’t sufficiently rich or imaginative to meet the challenge.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
Usually double-edged, the weapons were occasionally decorated with engraved patterns.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
Among artists and intellectuals, technology has always been double-edged, utopian and dystopian.
—Jed Perl, The New York Review of Books, 27 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for double-edged
Adjective
-
Avid entertainers and wellness enthusiasts will love the 6,950-square-foot home and its chef’s kitchen with dual islands.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The dynamic is a real problem for the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate of price stability and full employment.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Language that humans easily understand can be too ambiguous for machines, especially when multiple objects look similar.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Was there any thought of ending there and leaving what happens next ambiguous?—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The title is binary; the work is not.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Vanity Fair,
25 Mar. 2026
-
This unexpected outcome could provide new insights into binary asteroid systems and, crucially, how their orbits change after impacts.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The three-page letter is somewhat cryptic.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The lyrics are often cryptic and clipped, but bear evidence of turbulence and tumult.—
Colin Joyce,
Pitchfork,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Hopkins team hopes to study the digital twin approach in a larger study with other hospitals, and has begun a trial using it to treat a more common type of irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
By applying cutting-edge digital twin technology, the system allows engineers to analyze thousands of variables simultaneously—a process that previously required years of manual calculation and cross-departmental coordination.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
More elderly people could find themselves at the mercy of an obscure government program meant to save them from harm and preserve their dignity when their ability to take care of themselves is diminished.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Lyrics in the song include clear references to Taylor’s life and style, and also some more obscure Easter-egg-type reference.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
On the last night that anybody else reportedly saw Nancy, that camera caught a glimpse of a person clad in dark clothes, wearing gloves and a black balaclava, unidentifiable, standing at the threshold.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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Not only did that article form the basis of the film, but Lumet actually took the note and cast Pacino in the role of that dark, thin fellow.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Double-edged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double-edged. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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